Wildrose (A day out
In Death Valley, August 2001)
August 4th I woke up and hearing no one else was up at the appointed time I secretly snuggled back down. I was finally awoken properly at about half six and I claimed I had woken for the first time (heh heh) G+P had apparently had a bad night(well, that was their excuse)and had therefore
overslept
-but despite these hinderances we still managed an early start about half
seven with a very jumbly pack. We left for death valley on
a breakfast of donut holes... I felt rather sick on the journey (which
was smooth apart from an incident involving coffee). We listened to music
and finally after lots of driving arrived at our campsite (quite a lot
further than anticipated) at about ten. It was free and had a toilet and
no neighbours but unfortunately had very hard ground-stony and no shade.
We decided not to pitch our tents basically we couldn't be bothered, and
left on the road to the valley of death. First we passed through the small
town of Stove pipe Wells but did not stop. We also declined the advertised
trip to the borax mines. Then on to detath valley's biggest settlement
Frurnace Creek, for lunch. First we stopped off atthe visitors' centre
to look around, gather info and watch an interesting slide show all about
death valley in which we caught our first (but not to our surprise our
last) glimpse of a kangeroo mouse. We then went on to
a 'ranch' in Furnace Creek where we had a very good lunch. I had a tasty
burger with bacon and cheese, G had a chicken thing with Zabriskie sauce
and P had a HUGE steak sandwich which he only just managed to finish.
Thrhoughout our meal we were waited on by a very nice waiterwho, we found
when the bill arrived (15% tip included) was just doing it because it
was his job. We left in good spirits and with full stomachs (by the way
furnace creek is 190 ft below sea level) we then drove to Zabriskie Point
and found that it was very hot and not much else (didn't spend long there
due to this). The views weren't bad. Then we went to another view point
(1 mile high!) and looked down on the intriguing salt pans below in the
valley. We walked a little down a ridge but went back before we reached
the end due to embarrassing exhaustion. We then went down again (pressure
popping ears and distressing bottles), back to the visitors' centre where
we looked at the previously unnoticed Death Valley museum - (very interesting).
I bought a very nice poster, Bats of the West, after a little more mooching
around. (Nb (ed) it was cool inside there). Then we were off again along
the road to badwater (lowest point in the western hemishpere at 280 ft
below sea level) to discover just how bad it really was. As it turned
out it wasn't so much bad as boring, a shallow salt-encrusted pool of
'bad' water. We took a photo none the less only to discover that we weren't
supposed to go down to the naughty h2o due to the fact that it disurbed
the habitat of the soft bodied snail. Never mind, on to the artists' view
a winding road through some very interesting coloured rocks with colours
ranging from reds andgreens to browns and yellows and pinks. We took the
mandatory photo and went onto the devil's golf course. It was about the
least tempting place to play golf possible, it was basically a flat field
full of shart sharp lumps made from salt, not unlike a grey ploughed field.
But still! We came here for the heat and we were getting plenty of that,
the high of the day 122 degrees F that's 50 centigrade. Then we went onto
golden canyon. We walked up the interestingly textured path of the water-shaped
valley all the way to the red cathedral. A huge red piece of rock that
looked vaguely like its namesake with a bit of squinting and a lot of
imagination. Then back to the car and on to stove pipe wells again for
cokes with marachino cherries. The barman earned his tip with chat and
we bought some expensive bread from the store opposite. Then
back to Wildrose, at about half seven, where we found a massive RV had
moved in. Luckily nowhere near our planned site. We set up tents a little
to G's disappointment (G wanted to sleep under the stars), with the elements
against us; my tent got completely blown away! Finally with a little morale
boosting we had our tents up. Then came the second time of kangeroo mouse
vieiwing that day but this time it was real! I was getting things out
of the car when it came along and looked at me with sweet dark black eyes
-completely unafraid. I quickly summoned G&P and they also viewed
the sweet vcreature, but I will never forget the short time the I and
the mouse locked eyes -my moment of the holiday. Still in awe we sat down
to a meagre supper of bread and biscuits under the outcoming stars, a
really good time was had -we were also blessed by the company of a small
troop of cactus mice running from the hedge to our car constantly. As
I was leaving to go to bed I was bitten on the foot by something and became
very distressed, but comforted into gentle slumber by my loving parents
-a day to rememberGabriel Jones
August 4th I woke up and hearing no one else was up at the appointed time I secretly snuggled back down. I was finally awoken properly at about half six and I claimed I had woken for the first time (heh heh) G+P had apparently had a bad night(well, that was their excuse)and had therefore
overslept
-but despite these hinderances we still managed an early start about half
seven with a very jumbly pack. We left for death valley on
a breakfast of donut holes... I felt rather sick on the journey (which
was smooth apart from an incident involving coffee). We listened to music
and finally after lots of driving arrived at our campsite (quite a lot
further than anticipated) at about ten. It was free and had a toilet and
no neighbours but unfortunately had very hard ground-stony and no shade.
We decided not to pitch our tents basically we couldn't be bothered, and
left on the road to the valley of death. First we passed through the small
town of Stove pipe Wells but did not stop. We also declined the advertised
trip to the borax mines. Then on to detath valley's biggest settlement
Frurnace Creek, for lunch. First we stopped off atthe visitors' centre
to look around, gather info and watch an interesting slide show all about
death valley in which we caught our first (but not to our surprise our
last) glimpse of a kangeroo mouse. We then went on to
a 'ranch' in Furnace Creek where we had a very good lunch. I had a tasty
burger with bacon and cheese, G had a chicken thing with Zabriskie sauce
and P had a HUGE steak sandwich which he only just managed to finish.
Thrhoughout our meal we were waited on by a very nice waiterwho, we found
when the bill arrived (15% tip included) was just doing it because it
was his job. We left in good spirits and with full stomachs (by the way
furnace creek is 190 ft below sea level) we then drove to Zabriskie Point
and found that it was very hot and not much else (didn't spend long there
due to this). The views weren't bad. Then we went to another view point
(1 mile high!) and looked down on the intriguing salt pans below in the
valley. We walked a little down a ridge but went back before we reached
the end due to embarrassing exhaustion. We then went down again (pressure
popping ears and distressing bottles), back to the visitors' centre where
we looked at the previously unnoticed Death Valley museum - (very interesting).
I bought a very nice poster, Bats of the West, after a little more mooching
around. (Nb (ed) it was cool inside there). Then we were off again along
the road to badwater (lowest point in the western hemishpere at 280 ft
below sea level) to discover just how bad it really was. As it turned
out it wasn't so much bad as boring, a shallow salt-encrusted pool of
'bad' water. We took a photo none the less only to discover that we weren't
supposed to go down to the naughty h2o due to the fact that it disurbed
the habitat of the soft bodied snail. Never mind, on to the artists' view
a winding road through some very interesting coloured rocks with colours
ranging from reds andgreens to browns and yellows and pinks. We took the
mandatory photo and went onto the devil's golf course. It was about the
least tempting place to play golf possible, it was basically a flat field
full of shart sharp lumps made from salt, not unlike a grey ploughed field.
But still! We came here for the heat and we were getting plenty of that,
the high of the day 122 degrees F that's 50 centigrade. Then we went onto
golden canyon. We walked up the interestingly textured path of the water-shaped
valley all the way to the red cathedral. A huge red piece of rock that
looked vaguely like its namesake with a bit of squinting and a lot of
imagination. Then back to the car and on to stove pipe wells again for
cokes with marachino cherries. The barman earned his tip with chat and
we bought some expensive bread from the store opposite. Then
back to Wildrose, at about half seven, where we found a massive RV had
moved in. Luckily nowhere near our planned site. We set up tents a little
to G's disappointment (G wanted to sleep under the stars), with the elements
against us; my tent got completely blown away! Finally with a little morale
boosting we had our tents up. Then came the second time of kangeroo mouse
vieiwing that day but this time it was real! I was getting things out
of the car when it came along and looked at me with sweet dark black eyes
-completely unafraid. I quickly summoned G&P and they also viewed
the sweet vcreature, but I will never forget the short time the I and
the mouse locked eyes -my moment of the holiday. Still in awe we sat down
to a meagre supper of bread and biscuits under the outcoming stars, a
really good time was had -we were also blessed by the company of a small
troop of cactus mice running from the hedge to our car constantly. As
I was leaving to go to bed I was bitten on the foot by something and became
very distressed, but comforted into gentle slumber by my loving parents
-a day to rememberGabriel Jones